Category: Books

See that pile of business books in the corner? Or the library of business books you’ve managed to accumulate on your Kindle? You tell yourself that you’ll get to them one day … when things slow down … when you recruit a new assistant … when you go on holiday. But that day never comes. And so you end up with a huge pile of unread business books – AND the guilt that comes with wasting your money. And then, if you’re feeling particularly insecure that week, you also feel like a failure that you can’t seem to do something as simple as read a book that could potentially transform your business!

Eddie Machaalani is the co-founder and co-CEO of Bigcommerce, the leading e-commerce platform for small businesses looking to grow their revenues faster. Starting with $20,000 in credit card debt from a rented office above a friend’s shop in Sydney, Australia, the company has grown over 100% year-over-year, has raised $35M in capital and processed over $1 billion in transactions.

Eddie holds a BS in Computer Science from the University of Technology, Sydney and is an active angel investor and speaker.

A prodigious reader, he has found business books to be an invaluable resource as he's built his business along with partner Mitch Harper, and we're delighted to have him share his choices in this latest instalment of the continuing … Read the rest

Establishing and successfully running a business takes a great deal of effort, and in the early years at least, doesn't leave a whole lot of time for much else.

But Collis Ta'eed, co-founder (along with his wife Cyan) and CEO of Envato, which is one of the world's most successful digital marketplaces and creative educational networks, firmly believes it's important to devote some of that leftover time to learning from other entrepreneurs who have gone before you.

He credits reading these business books as being instrumental, at least in part, in his business success, and we're delighted he's chosen to share the three business books that changed his life with us.

This week I popped into the Lululemon store in Balmain. Now, if you're familiar with Lululemon you'll know that it's the sort of place that sells workout gear, sports bras and yoga clothes. As I'm currently on a health kick, I picked out some pieces to inspire me and headed to the checkout.

An odd collection of books
When I got there I spied a row of books that looked like they were for sale. I was expecting to find books on meditation, health, fitness and mung beans. But instead (as you can see from the picture), the books included:

I love sharing information. My entire business – the Sydney Writers' Centre – is built on sharing knowledge and empowering people to kick their own goals. And that's why I'm so excited about my upcoming seminar: "How to write a business book".

Date: Friday 16 November 2012
Time: 9.30am to 1.00pm
Cost: $295

In this seminar, I’ll share with you first-hand my experience at putting together a business book – providing you with a blueprint for your own publishing success. We’ll explore how to structure your chapters, determine the best content, plus behind-the-scenes things like writing your book proposal and whether or not you should use ghostwriters. But remember: writing the book is only half the battle – … Read the rest

Not only does he help other would-be entrepreneurs get on their way via his start-up accelerator, Angelcube (along with co-founders Adrian Stone and Nathan Sampimon), he has also taken the plunge into raising money for his own new venture, LIFX Labs.

Andrew will be the first to tell you that it pays to heed the advice of those entrepreneurs who have gone before you, and he heartily endorses taking the wisdom of others and using it to fuel his own entrepreneurial journey.

That's why I asked which business books had really spoken to him and why for our continuing series "3 business books … Read the rest

My book Power Stories debuted last week as number 2 in its category (business and management), just behind Richard Branson's book.

I have to admit that I had no idea what to expect about the sales of the book so it's been interesting (and very exciting) to watch it all unfold. I'm documenting everything - all my marketing strategies, ideas and media opportunities - and I'm happy to share my experience in case you want to launch a book one day.

I've already been approached by people to run workshops on it and will be including my findings so far in the upcoming half-day seminar "How to write a business book" on 16 November 2012.

Heidi Holmes, who owns and manages adage.com.au, a job site that is specifically targeted at workers over 45, firmly believes you need to have a passion for what you do in life.

This came through loud and clear when I profiled this talented entrepreneur recently for my Fairfax-based Enterprise blog, and is definitely reflected in the great books she has chosen for the continuing series, "3 business books that changed my life".

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
I first read this book when I was 18.

I was probably a little naïve (or maybe just distracted) at the time to fully appreciate it so I read it again 10 years later. With a little more maturity behind me, … Read the rest

As I have discovered over the course of my entrepreneurial career, you need to be prepared to give everything you have to grow your startup. It isn't a 9 to 5 proposition, and anyone who believes that quickly falls by the wayside.

One man who started his own business (in fact a series of businesses) with his eyes wide open, sleeves rolled up, and ready to give his all to make it a success, is Jonathan Barouch, who I recently featured in my Enterprise blog.

He is the founder and CEO of Roamz.com, a location-based app that is dedicated to making it easier for everyone to plan their nights and … Read the rest

Some people are nuts. Or short-sighted. Or something. And they make me wonder why they make it so hard for themselves in business. I came across a business with this mentality recently and just wanted to take the owner by the shoulders and shake him to say: "Can't you see what you're doing to yourself?"

His attitude was all the more pronounced because I had just come from a store that did everything right. The minute I walked into this store I was mesmerised.

Soak Bathecary in the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria

It was a couple of weeks ago and I was in a little town called Sassafras in the Dandenong Ranges. I wandered into a store called Soak … Read the rest